Rapid processing of comminuted meat emulsions



Feb. 18, 1964 F. w. TAUBER ETAL 3,121,638

RAPID PROCESSING OF COMMINUTED MEAT EMULSIONS Original Filed Nov. 1,1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I NVENTORS FR NCIS W.TAUBER ROY N.OLSON Br 91! a IATTORNEY Feb. 18, 1964 F. W. TAUBER ETAL RAPID PROCESSING OF COMMINUTEDMEAT EMULSIONS Original Filed Nov. 1, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 44 z E T: 45v 1 I L INVENTORS FRANCIS W.TAUBER A ROY N.0L ON Feb. 18, 1964 3,121,638

RAPID PROCESSING OF COMMINUTED MEAT EMULSIONS w. TAUBER ETAL 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Nov. 1, '1960 INVENTORS FRANCIS W.TAUBERROY N. OLSON ATTORNEY United States Patent lll., assignors to UnionCarbide Corporation, a corporation of New York Original appiication Nov.1, 1960, Ser. No. 66,497. Di-

vided and this application Aug. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 135,394

14 Claims. (Cl. 99-109) This invention relates to a method of andapparatus for processing meat products, and more particularly, torapidly processing meat products from a comminuted meat emulsion.

The conventional method for manufacturing shaped meat products, such asskinless frankfurters, comprises preparing an emulsion with meat, spicesand curing agents, and stufilng the free flowing emulsion into preciselysized artificial casings and preferably cellulosic casings. The emulsionis not merely allowed to fill the casing, but is fed into the casingunder some pressure which, after mechanical linking, forms a firmcontainer, permeable to moisture and curing smoke, of a predetermineddiameter and length for cooking to a desired uniform weight. The strandof encased, linked meat emulsion is then cooked and/or smoked, tocoagulate the meat proteins of the emulsion and create a rigid solidwith a smooth surface formation. Proper cooking and smoking has threeprincipal functions: first, to destroy or inhibit bacterial growth whichcauses spoilage of the meat; second, to impart the specific flavor andtexture to the product which the local market demands; and third, toproduce the color development in the meat and surface formation,demanded by the public.

The sealing of food surfaces by mild drying is a common practice withprocessed foods. Cheddar cheese, marshmallows, bread and sausage are afew of the items in which the production of a sealed surface isimportant for preservation. In sausage manufacturing, this dryingcuringoperation is commonly done in a Smokehouse. A smooth surface formationon the sausage is very important, not only for acceptable appearance,but to extend shelf life of the product and to permit efficientperformance of mechanical casing peeling equipment which is Widely usedby producers of skinless frankfurters.

After the stuffed, linked emulsion has been properly cooked and/orsmoked, it is showered with water and chilled. The chilled linkedsausage is then peeled and/ or packaged into individual sausages readyfor shipping or storage.

Concurrent with striving to find ways to improve an already commerciallyacceptable product, sausage manufacturers are also continually strivingto increase productivity to offset rising labor costs. One particulararea in which productivity may be increased, is by decreasing Smokehousecooking and handling time. -If the strand of sausage could be processedcontinuously, labor could be eliminated which formerly was required tohang and remove batches of sausages on racks, and to transport the rackinto and out of the Smokehouse and cold shower.

However, the cooking operation must meet certain requirements. As forexample, the Meat Inspection Division of the US. Department ofAgriculture requires that the internal temperature of a frankfurtershould attain a minimum temperature of 137 F. Good practice in theindustry dictates that the minimum internal temperature of 137 F. shouldbe held for five minutes. The American Meat Institute Foundationrecommends cooling sausage to an internal temperature of 150 F., forprevention of bacterial spoilage in the meat and has found that 155 F.is effective in most cases in preventing bacterial greening. Currently,to insure that the internal Patented Feb. 18, 1964 temperature of themeat emulsion reaches the prescribed temperature for the desired lengthof time, the cooking and/or smoking operation may require 1 /2 to 3hours per batch, depending upon the type of emulsion, casing andconventional smokehouse that is used.

In a conventional Smokehouse, the sausage product is dried and cooked bythe circulation of low velocity heated gas. The strands of linkedproduct are spiralled over smoke sticks depending therefrom in loops, inclose proximity to each other. A plurality of smoke sticks are hung on ametal rack and a number of racks are hung from rails in Smokehousecompartments. Thus, the sausage product hung near the middle of the rackin a smokehouse, is screened from the full drying effect of the heatedgas. The product is initially processed at a low gas temperature (underF.) to dry the surface and then the gas temperature is raised to aboutF. to cook the product. Heat transfer to the product results from thesum total effect of conduction, convection, and radiation.

The problem is then to reduce processing requirements to a fraction ofthe time presently needed and make the process continuous Withoutadversely affecting color, flavor and texture. In addition, peelabilityqualities, and bactericidal factors of the sausage product should not beimpaired.

Heretofore, attempts to rapidly cook batches of frankfurters in aconventional smokehouse operated at a high temperature, such as inexcess of 180 F. have not been successful because the product had poorcolor development (the meat surface was too brown). Such operation alsoresulted in adhesion of the casing to the meat surface and themechanical peelability factor was not good or acceptable. Moreparticularly, when it is attempted to peel cellulosic casing fromsausages cooked in high-temperature conventional smokehouses bymechanical peeling operations, the surface formation of the meat isscarred and/ or torn from the meat mass and the resulting frankfurtercannot be sold as a commercial sausage product. The undesirable adhesionof casing to the meat surface is believed to be caused by the hightemperature, coagulating and precipitating the proteins of. the meatemulsion onto the casing inner surface.

Still further attempts to decrease cooking time in smokehouses by usingmoderate velocity gaseous movement, such as a turnover of 4 to 8 timesper minute, have not been successful because the air movement could notbe effectively and uniformly directed to the surface of the entiresausage product in the smokehouse. As a consequence, to obtain bestresults by this method, it took from 1 to 2 hours to process the productsatisfactorily.

Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to decrease to afraction the time heretofore required for the cooking and/or smoking ofan encased and linked meat emulsion.

Another object of this invention is to rapidly process an encased andlinked meat emulsion into sausage having acceptable color, flavor,texture and bacterial factors, and from which the casing is readilypeeled.

Still another object of this invention is to continuously and rapidlycoagulate the meat proteins in an encased and linked meat emulsion toform a rigid solid having a smooth and firm surface formation.

Other and additional objects will become apparent hereinafter.

According to the present invention, a properly cooked sausage product,such as frankfurters having a surface (square inches) to volume (cubicinches) ratio in excess of 3.011, can be continuously and rapidly formedfrom an encased meat emulsion by contacting the encased meat emulsionWith a stream of heated gas, as from about 180 to 215 R, which is movingat a high velocity relative to the rate of travel of the encased meatemulsion, such as at least 2,000 feet per minute greater than theencased meat emulsion. Surprisingly, the stream of heated gas rapidlyproduces a surface formation on the encased meat which permits easyremoval of the cellulosic casing, and heats the encased meat emulsionabove the minimum temperature level of Federal food regulations, wherebysaid meat emulsion rapidly dries with a minimum loss of weight, andquickly coagulates into a self-supporting mass of the proper flavor and(firm but tender) texture and thereby provides an acceptable (pink)color development in the interior and (red) surface formation on theindividual sausages. For greatest economy, a continuous strand ofsausages in cellulosic casings which precisely shape and size theproduct and permit continuous transporting of the sausage links throughsuccessive processing stages are preferably utilized. In practicing thepresent invention, it has been found that the Department of Agriculturesminimum internal frankfurter temperature at 137 F. can be attained inabout 4- /2 minutes employing the aforesaid gas temperatures andvelocities, but good practice in the industry dictates that the internaltemperature be held for an additional to 7 minutes. Thus, the sausageproduct can be cooked in less than minutes.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the required color change inthe meat mass from grayish tan to pink or red is obtained byincorporating in the meat emulsion a coloring or reducing agent, such asascorbic acid or its salts, in minimal amounts such as 0.03 to 0.10percent by weight of meat emulsion.

Heretofore, insufiicient color formation and poor peelability resultedwhen franlnfurters were rapidly processed by exposure to heated gases attemperatures above about 180 F. Surprisingly, these defects: aresubstantially eliminated by moving the heated gas at the aforedescribedhigh velocities over a oellulosic encased meat product having a size andshape providing for a surface-to-volume ratio greater than 3 to 1, andby incorporating a reducing agent in the meat emulsion.

The chemistry of meat color development is not completely understood,but it is believed that oxygen is generally not desirable for cured meatcolor development. Also, Wet cellulosic casing is relatively morepermeable to moisture and to oxygen than dry casing. Thus, whencellulosic casings are stufied with normally fluid meat emulsion beforecooking, the casing is relatively more permeable to the oxygen of thecooking atmosphere. As the casing is dried in cooking, it becomes lesspermea-ble to the oxygen of the atmosphere at the same time the meatmass is heated, which thereby tends to drive off the oxygen containedtherein.

The combination of inconporating a reducing agent in the encased meatemulsion and the rapid elimination of oxygen therefrom as the casing isin a wet condition, and

the decrease in oxygen permeability as the casing dries, all provide thereducing condition in the encased meat mass which is necessary for rapidcolor development as it is being cooked.

It is also believed that in the practice of the present invention,drying of the exterior surface of the meat emulsion occurs through theinitially permeable casing Wall, prior to the actual coagulating andprecipitating of the meat proteins thereon to substantially eliminatethe adverse adhesion of the casing wall to the meat products.Ordinarily, high temperature converts some type of meat proteins togelatin, which is then cooked to adhere tightly to the casing wall.

The rapid surface drying of the product by high velocity air produces aninitial shrink to the enveloping cellulosic casing. Shrinka epressurizes the encased meat emulsion, and thereby yields a verycompact, smooth surface formation which quickly develops the firm buttender texture in the meat. The very smooth dry meat sunface provides aready release of the casing therefrom which yields excellentproductivity in mechanical peeling operations.

The nature of the invention and the manner in which this invention canbe practiced will become clear from the detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecirication and wherein like reference numerals designate like parts,except as otherwise indicated.

IGURE 1 is a side elevation, partially in section of one embodiment ofapparatus for carrying out the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the entrance of the appar atus shown inFIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective of a portion of the duct ofapparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation, partially in section of another embodimentof apparatus [for carrying out the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged perspective of a portion of the dust ofapparatus shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 comprisesangle supports 2, 2 which cradle a rectangularly shaped circulating gascooking tunnel 4 that serves as an elongated heated zone. Conveyor chainsprockets 6, 6' mounted on the supports 2, 2, respectively, and drivenby a conventional motor means, not shown, align and transport acontinuous link chain 8 through the cooking tunnel 4 entering at itsinput end opening 32, and emerging at its output end opening 33. Wirehooks i2 affixed to the chain 8 are arranged to depend from its lowerflight as they pass through the cooking tunnel 4. To compensate forshrinkage of frankfurter units during cooking, such as 6 to 10 percent,the wire hooks 12 are spaced along the chain 8 at a distance less thantwo cooked frankfurter lengths.

A deed unit so engages and advances an encased iinked sausage strand it?and synchronizes and places alternate tie portions of frankfiurter linkssideways onto the depending wire hooks 12 at the input end of thecooking tunnel 4-. As shown in FIGURE 1, each two frankfurter units inan uncooked condition hang from the hooks 12 in a ii-shape because thedistance between hooks 12 is less than the length of two cooked:frankfurrter units and approach a straight line due to shrinkage asthey are cooked.

The strand of \frankfurters is transported through by the conveyor chain8 in the time necessary to cook the product in a high velocity heatedgas such as air or wood smoke, circulated through tunnel 4 by means ofblower 14, connected thereto by a supply duct 16 and -a return duct id.The gas is heated by a steam coil 20 and the velocity of the gas in thecoo-king tunnel 4 is controlled by a damper 2-2. Humidity of the gasstream is controlled by a steam injection means 26. In the cookingtunnel 4, the heated air is periodically redirected across the productby vanes 24 spaced along the inner surfaces of its top or bottom wallsin staggered relation, thus increasing the scrubbing action of the highvelocity heated air on the product surface.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the feed unit 4t cornpirises continuousroller chain 42 operated in a vertical plane over sprockets 44 by aright angle gear drive 46 riven by a motor 48. Direction and speed ofthe chain 42 is synchronized with the conveyor chain 8. Fingers 50 areafiixed outstanding to the chain 42, i.e. toward the center of thecooking tunnels, and spaced to engage every second frankfurter link atthe leading end tie. The chain 42 is offset to the centerline of thecooking tunnel 4 so that the frankfurter strand it can be engaged by thefingers 5i and advanced and elevated to the position where a pusher arm52 engages and slides the tfrankfurter strand it from the finger 59 ontothe hook 12. Operation of the pusher arm 52 to displace the frankfurterstrand sideways is synchronized with alignment of the finger 50 and thehook 112 at the pusher position. The pusher arm 52 is actuated by bevelgear sets 54, 56, driven by a shaft 58 as an extension of the gear drive46.

At the output end of the cooking tunnel 4, a doiiing device 60 in theform of an intermittently operated paddle wheel, doffs the frankfurterstrand 10 side-ways from the hooks 12 and deposits it into a receivingcontainer 62.

The apparatus in FIGURE 4 comprises a cook ng tunnel 4 with circulatinggas components of similm function and like numbers as in the descriptionof FIGURE 1. Encased sausage 10 is laid onto an open mesh conveyor beltin a zigzag manner and transported through tunnel 4 thereon, in the timenecessary to cook the product 10.

The cooking apparatus illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 4 can be employed incooking a sausage product in either one or two stages. Preferably,two-stage cooking is conducted by arranging two cooking tunnels 4 intandem relationship and by having one sausage conveyor system. Aconveyor pulley 6 is mounted at the entrance end of the first cookingtunnel and a second pulley 6 is mounted at the exit end of the secondcooking tunnel. Such pulleys can obviously be made to transport thecontinuous belt 8 or the open mesh belt 30 through the tunnels. Eachcooking tunnel is of sufiicient length to insure proper cook ing timefor each phase thereof. However, it is to be understood, two-stagecooking can be done by batch operation wherein a single tunnel 4 asshown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4 is used. A length of sausage product is placedin the tunnel 4 and the temperatures and velocities of the cooking gaspassing through the tunnel are regulated for each stage of cooking.

In one-stage cooking, meat emulsion encased in cellulosic casingpermeable to smoke and moisture and of a size that the ratio of productsurface (surface area) to meat emulsion volume (cubic inches) is greaterthan 3 to 1 is fed through the cooking tunnel 4 by either the conveyorchain 8 or open mesh screen 30. A gaseous medium, such as air with adispersion of smoke at a temperature of 190 F. to 210 F. is fed throughthe cooking tunnel at a velocity of about 2000 to 4000 feet per minuteby means of the blower 14. The high velocity heated smoke whollyenvelopes the encased sausage meat emulsion, cooking it within 10 to 12minutes into a tender homogeneous mass with desirable flavor, color andsurface formation, which after cooking and cooling, allows the casing tobe readily peeled therefrom in mechanical peeling equipment to yield acommercially desirable unit sausage.

In the two-stage cooking of the encased meat emulsion as hereinafterdescribed, the cooking time can be still further decreased. In aconstant rate drying zone, the temperature of the air wholly envelopingthe meat emulsion is elevated and controlled by the wet bulb depression,to govern the rate of drying desired for a given air velocity and ratioof surface area to volume of the product.

In the first stage of cooking with air at a temperature of about 210 F.to 250 F., and a velocity of at least 2000 feet per minute, an encasedmeat emulsion having a surface to volume ratio of 5.1 to 1 was broughtto an internal temperature of 137 F. and a surface temperature of 162-F. within 4 /2 minutes. The encased sausage was then moved to thefalling rate or second stage cooking zone where air at a temperature of160 F. and a velocity of 1600 feet per minute dried it for 5 minutes toconform to trade practice of holding at the internal temperature of 137F. for that time, and to develop commercially suitable texture andcolor. By two-stage cooking, the meat emulsion can be cooked in 10minutes.

Thus, in either the one-stage cooking or the two-stage cooking,processing of an encased meat emulsion is reduced to a fraction of timerequired in processing the encased meat emulsion by the conventionalSmokehouse;

6 that is, from to minutes, it is reduced to 10 to 12 minutes.

It is to be noted the relative humidity of the surrounding atmospherewill influence the rate of drying or humidification of the casing and isa means of controlling the moisture levels for a period of time that ispractical for good peeling performance. Thus, it has been found inone-stage cooking for a cooking gas of air at the temperature andvelocity levels set forth in Table II, a relative humidity of about 3percent to 8 percent is practical for good peeling performance wherein acellulosic material is used to encase a frankfurter meat emulsion.correspondingly, in two-stage cooking for a cooking gas of air at thetemperature and velocity levels set forth in Table III a relativehumidity of about 3 percent to 5 percent for the first stage, and ofabout 5 percent to 10 percent for the second stage has been foundsatisfactory.

The details and manner of practicing this invention will become apparentby reference to the following specific examples, it being understoodthat these examples are merely illustrative embodiments of the inventionand that the scope of the invention is not limited thereto.

EXAMPLE I Frankfurters were prepared from emulsion as tabulated in TableI, and stuffed into moisture and smoke permeable inch diametercellulosic casings wherein the ratio of product surface to productvolume was 5 /2 to 1. The casings were stuffed with the describedemulsions on a conventional stuffer, fitted with a standard stuffinghorn for the casing used, and linked to 5 /2 to 6 inches long links on aconventional driven mechanical linker. The frankfurters were cooked in arectangular cooking tunnel 10 inches wide by 8 inches high and about 20feet long, such as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 4. A large percentage ofthe tests were performed on an arrangement similar to that described inFIGURE 1. Some tests were run on the arrangement described in FIGURE 4to determine whether the cooked product would be marked by the mesh ofthe conveyor belt. No mesh marks were formed on the finished product.Table II is a tabulation of 7 runs using different emulsions cooked attemperatures ranging from F. to 215 F., for time intervals from 5 to 10minutes. All runs yielded a commercially acceptable product.

EXAMPLE II Frankfurters were prepared from the emulsion formulation astabulated in Table I and stuffed into moisture and smoke permeable inchdiameter cellulosic casings in the manner described in Example I. Thefrankfurters were cooked in two stages as hereinbefore described. TableIII is a tabulation of 3 runs of two-zone cooking wherein isdemonstrated the desirability of employing cooking gas velocities of atleast about 3000 feet per minute during the first stage, but that thesecond stage drying can be satisfactorily aifected at lower gasvelocities such as at least 1600 f.p.m. All runs yielded a common ciallyacceptable product in about 10 minutes.

1 Extender is comprised of dried skimmed milk and wheat flour. 2Ascorbic acid, Sodium Ascot-bate or Sodium Isoscorbate, Es oz. per 100lbs. of formulation.

Table 11' Frank- Run Dryer Time, Relative Air Emul- Peeling furter No.Temp., Min- Humid- Velocity, sion Color Perform Interns F. utes ityf.p.m ance Temperature, F.

190 10 7 2, 700 A Fair 0.K. 153 190 15 7 2, 700 A Fair O.K. 104 100 10 s3, 250 a Fair 0.161. 158 190 10 4 a, 300 Fair 0.1K. 152 210 0 3,200 AGood 0.K. 162 210 10 3% 3, 400 0 Good O.K. 174 230 6 4 2, 700 A Fair OK.106

N ore-Fair or good color formation is commercially acceptable.

Table III ing solid which permits easy removal of the casing, andmaintaining the encased self-supporting solid within the Dryer RelativeAir velocity Time, Ernulhigh velocity heated gas stream for apredetermined intert g gi pa Humidity -D- Mlmltes 3111 val sufficient toincrease the internal temperature of said emulsion to at least about 137F. to develop a com- Pun mercially acceptable meat product with thedesired color L 250 4 4,150 5 B and texture.

i ig 2 28 g B 2. In forming a shaped meat product from an encased i2:160 5 1:600 5 comminuted mea-t emulsion including 0.03 to 0.10 per- 8 2g g B cent by weight of a coloring agent selected from the 5 groupconsisting of ascorbic acid and salts thereof, said N0TES emulsion beingencased in a cellulosic casing permeable V 1. The above runs heated thefrankiurter meat emulsion to an internal temperature in excess of 13 F.

2. The above runs yielded frankfurtcrs having commercially acceptablecolor and peeling performance.

Control frankfurters of meat emulsions as described in Examples I andII, were made for comparison with the rapidcook test runs. They wereprocessed in a normal manner in a conventional Smokehouse and took from2 /2 to 3 hours to obtain commercially acceptable color and texturedevelopment. They attained an internal temperature of ISO-155 F. Duringthe time of processing, the temperature of the Smokehouse was elevatedfrom 130 to 180 F., and 40 percent relative humidity was maintainedthroughout the smoke cycle.

'Ihus, Examples I and II dramatically illustrate that by the practice ofthis invention, cooking time of a sausage meat emulsion is reduced toless than 20 percent of the time required by the conventionalsmokehouse, thereby making it possible to process franks rapidly fromthe stuffing-linking operation as a continuous strand of sausages, toand through a cooking operation under closely controlled conditions. Asa result, it is estimated that the labor formerly required in hanginglinked frankfurters on smoke sticks, and labor for servicing Smokehouseand showering operations, will be decreased to about percent of formerrequirements.

Consequently, this invention is of considerable economic importance tothe meat industry which presently produces 1,300,000,000 pounds offrankfunters per year. It is conservatively estimated by practicing thisinvention, resultant savings to the industry will amount to millions ofdollars per year.

This invention is particularly useful for the manufacture of skinlessfrankfurters, which represents over 70 percent of fran'kfurterproduction in the United States.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes andmodifications may be made in the described method and apparatus withoutdeparting from the nature and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A process for rapidly cooking heat-coagulable commin-uted meatemulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture bymaintaining said encased meat emulsion in a stream of heated gas at atemperature of at least about 180 F. moving at a high velocity of atleast about 2000 feet per minute with respect to said encased meatemulsion wherein the high velocity heated gas rapidly develops a smoothsurface formation on said encased meat emulsion and quickly coagulatesthe comminuted meat emulsion to form an encased self-supportto moisture,the step which comprises feeding the encased comminuted meat into astream of heated gas at a temperature of at least about F. moving at ahigh velocity of at least about 2000 feet per minute with respeet tosaid encased comminuted meat emulsion and wherein the high velocityheated gas stream rapidly produces a surface formation on the encasedmeat emulsion which permits easy removal of the casing by sufficientlydrying the exterior surface of the meat emulsion prior to itscoagulating and precipitating to substantially eliminate the damagingadhesion of the meat emulsion to the casing, and wherein the highvelocity heated gas stream heats and maintains the encased comminutedmeat emulsion at a temperature of at least 137 F. to cause saidcommin-uted meat emulsion to rapidly dry with a minimum loss of weightand quickly coagulate into a selfsupporting solid having a commerciallyacceptable color and texture.

3. A process for rapidly cooking heat coagulable comminuted meatemulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture bymaintaining said encased meat emulsion having at least a 3 to 1 surfaceto volume ratio in a stream of heated gas at a temperature of at leastabout 180 F. moving at a high velocity of at least about 2000 feet perminute with respect to said encased meat emulsion wherein the highvelocity heated gas quickly coagulates it to form an encasedself-supporting solid with a smooth surface which permits easy removalof the casing, and maintaining the encased self-supporting solid Withinthe high velocity heated gas stream for a predetermined intervalsutficient to increase the internal temperature of said emulsion to atleast about 137 F., in which commercially acceptable color and texturedevelop.

4. A process for rapidly cooking a heat-coagulable comminuted meatemulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture including0.03 to 0.10 Weight percent of a reducing agent selected from the groupconsisting of ascorbic acid and salts thereof and having at least a 3 to1 surface to volume ratio by feeding said encased meat emulsion into astream of heated gas at a temperature of at least about 180 F. moving ata high velocity of at least 2000 feet per minute and wherein the highvelocity heated gas quickly coagulates it to form an encasedself-supporting solid with a smooth surface which permits easy removalof the cellulosic casing, and maintaining the encased self-supportingsolid within the high velocity heated gas stream for a predeterminedinterval sufficient to increase the internal temperature of said 9emulsion to at least about 137 F., in which commercial- 1y acceptablecolor and texture are developed.

5. A process for rapidly cooking heat-coagu-lable comminuted meatemulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture by feedingsaid encased meat emulsion into a stream of gas at a temperature ofabout 180 to 215 F. and a velocity of at least 2000 feet per minute andwherein the high velocity heated gas quickly coagulates it to form anencased self-supporting solid with a smooth surface which permits easyremoval of the casing, and maintaining the encased self-supporting solidwithin the high velocity heated gas stream for a predetermined intervalsufficient to increase the internal temperature of said emulsion to atleast about 137 F., in which commercially acceptable color and textureare developed.

6. A process for rapidly cooking a heat-coagulable comminuted meatemulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture including0.03 to 0.10 weight percent of a coloring agent selected from the groupconsisting of ascorbic acid and salts thereof and having a surface tovolume ratio of at least 3 to 1 by feeding said encased meat emulsioninto a stream of gas at a temperature of about 180 to 215 F. and avelocity of at least 2000 feet per minute and wherein the high velocityheated gas wholly envelopes the encased meat mixture to quicklycoagulate it to form an encased self-supporting solid with a smoothsurface which permits easy removal of the cellulosic casing, andmaintaining the encased self-supporting solid within the high velocityheated gas stream for a predetermined interval sufilcient to increasethe internal temperature of said emulsion to at least about 137 F., inwhich commercially acceptable color and texture are developed.

7. A process for rapidly and continuously cooking a heat-coagulablecomminuted meat emulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable tomoisture having at least a 3 to 1 surface to volume ratio by feedingsaid encased meat emulsion and a stream of heated gas at a temperaturefrom about 180 to 215 F. and velocity of about 2000 to 4000 feet perminute through a heating zone wherein the high velocity heated gaswholly envelopes the encased cornrninuted meat emulsion and quicklycoagulates it to form an encased self-supporting solid with a smoothsurface which permits easy removal of the casing, and maintaining theencased self-supporting solid within the heated gas stream for apredetermined interval in which commercially acceptable color andtexture are developed, said process being characterized in that thecomminuted meat mixture is cooked to the desired product within 10 to 12minutes.

8. A process lfOI' rapidly and continuously cooking a heat-coagulablecomminuted meat emulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable tomoisture having at least a 3 to 1 surface to volume ratio by'concurrently feeding said meat mixture and a stream of gas at atemperature from about 180 to 215 F., a relative humidity of 3 to 8percent and velocity of about 2000 to 4000 feet through a heating zonewherein the high velocity heated gas wholly envelopes the encasedcomminuted meat emulsion and quickly coagulates it to form an encasedselfsupporting solid with a smooth surface which permits easy removal ofthe cellulosic casing in about 5 minutes, and maintaining the encasedself-supporting solid within the high velocity heated gas stream forabout 5 to 7 minutes.

9. In forming a shaped meat product from comminuted meat emulsionencased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture having a surface tovolume ratio greater than 3 to 1, the step which comprises maintainingthe encased comminuted meat emulsion in a stream of gas at a temperatureof about 180 to 215 F. and a velocity of at least 2000 feet per minutewherein the high velocity heated gas stream rapidly produces a surfaceformation on the encased meat mixture which permits easy removal of thecasing by sufficiently drying the exterior surface of the meat mixtureprior to its coagulating and precipitating to substantially eliminatethe damaging adhesion of the meat emulsion to the cellulosic casing, andwhere'- in the high velocity heated gas stream heats the encasedcomminuted meat emulsion to at least about 137 F. to cause said meatmixture to rapidly dry with a minimum loss of weight and quicklycoagulate into a self-supporting solid having commercially acceptablecolor and texture.

10. In forming a shaped meat product from a comminuted meat emulsion,the steps which comprise incorporating 0.03 to 0.10 weight percent of areducing agent selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid andsalts thereof in the meat emulsion, stuffing the comminuted emulsion ina moisture permeable cellulosic casing which will yield a meat producthaving -a surface to volume ratio greater than 3 to 1, and feeding theencased commin-uted meat emulsion into a stream of gas at a temperatureof about to 215 F. and a velocity of at least 2000 feet per minutewherein the high velocity heated gas stream rapidly produces a surfaceformation on the encased meat mixture which perm-its easy removal of thecasing by sufficiently drying the exterior surface of the meat mixtureprior to coagulating and precipitating to substantially eliminate thedamaging adhesion of the meat mixture to the cellulosic casing, andwherein the high velocity heated gas stream heats the encased comminutedmeat emulsion to at least about 137 F. to cause said meat emulsion torapidly dry with a minimum loss of weight and quickly coagulate into aself-supporting solid having a commercially acceptable color andtexture.

11. In forming a shaped meat product from a comminuted meat emulsion,the steps which comprise stuffing the comminuted emulsion in a moisturepermeable cellulosic casing which will yield a meat product having asurface to volume ratio greater than 3 to 1, and feeding the cellulosicencased comminuted meat emulsion into a stream of gas at a temperatureof about 180 to 215 F. and a velocity of about 2000 to 4000 feet perminute wherein the high velocity heated gas stream rapidly produces asurface formation on the encased meat emulsion which permits easyremoval of the cellulosic casing by sufificiently drying the exteriorsurface of the meat mixture prior to its coagulating and precipitatingto substantially eliminate the damaging adhesion of the meat mixture tothe cellulosic casing, and wherein the high velocity heated gas streamheats the 'cellulosic encased comminuted meat emulsion above 137 F. tocause said meat emulsion to rapidly dry with a minimum loss of weightand quiclaly coagulate into a self-supporting solid having acommercially acceptable color and texture.

12. A process for rapidly cooking heat-coagulable comminuted meatemulsion encased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture bymaintaining said meat emulsion in a first stream of heated gas at atemperature of about 180 to 215 F. moving at a high velocity of at leastabout 2000 feet per minute in relation to such encased meat emulsionwherein the high velocity heated gas wholly envelopes the encasedcomminuted meat emulsion and quickly coagulates it to form an encasedselfsupporting solid with a smooth surface which permits easy removal ofthe casing, maintaining said encased emulsion in said first stream ofheated gas for a period suflicient to increase the temperature of saidemulsion to at least about 137 F., and then maintaining the encasedself-supporting solid in a second heated gas stream moving at a highvelocity in relation to said encased meat emulsion wherein the gaswholly envelopes and maintains the encased self-supporting solid aboveits coagulating temperature, and wherein it develops commerciallyacceptable color and texture.

13. A process for rapidly and continuously cooking a heat-coagulablecomminuted meat emulsion encased in face to volume ratio of at least 3to 1 by feeding said meat emulsion into a stream of gas at a temperatureof about 210 to 250 F. and at a velocity of at least 2000 feet perminute and wherein the high velocity heated gas stream quicklycoagulates it to form a cellulosic encased self-supporting solid with asmooth surface which permits easy removal of the cellulosic casing,maintaining said encased emulsion in said steam of gas until thetemperature of said emulsion is increased to at least about 137 F., andthen feeding the cellulosic encased selfsupporting solid into a dryingstream of gas at a temperature of about 160 F. and at a velocity of atleast 1600 feet per minute and wherein the high velocity heated dryinggas stream quickly develops an encased self-supporting meat producthaving commercially acceptable color and texture.

14. In forming a shaped meat product from a comminuted meat emulsionencased in a cellulosic casing permeable to moisture having a surface tovolume ratio greater than 3 to l, the steps which comprise feeding thecellulosic encased comminuted meat mixture into a stream of gas at atemperature of about 210 to 250 F., a relative humidity of 3 to 5percent, and a velocity of at least about 2000 feet per minute whereinthe high velocity heated gas stream rapidly produces a surface formationon the encased meat emulsion which permits easy removal of thecellulosic casing by sufficiently drying the exterior surface of themeat mixture prior to its coagulating and precipitating to substantiallyeliminate the dam-aging adhesion of the meat emulsion to the cellulosiccasing, and wherein the high velocity heated gas stream heats theceliulosic encased comminuted meat emulsion above 137 F. to cause saidmeat emulsion to rapidly dry with a minimum loss of weight and quicklycoagulate into a self-supporting solid, and feeding the cellulosicencased self-supporting solid into a second stream of gas at atemperature of about F., a relative humidity of 5 to 10 percent, and avelocity of at least about 1600 feet per minute wherein the internaltemperature of the cellulosic encased self-supporting solid ismaintained at a temperature above 137 F. and wherein commerciallyacceptable color and texture are developed.

Jones Mar. 2, 1943 Allen et a1 Aug. 8, 1961

1. A PROCESS FOR RAPIDLY COOKING HEAT-COAGULABLE COMMINUTED MEATEMULSION ENCASED IN A CELLULOSIC CASING PERMEABLE TO MOISTURE BYMAINTAINING SAID ENCASED MEAT EMULSION IN A STREAM OF HEATED GAS AT ATEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST ABOUT 180*F. MOVING AT A HIGH VELOCITY OF ATLEAST ABOUT 2000 FEET PER MINUTE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ENCASED MEATEMULSION WHEREIN THE HIGH VELOCITY HEATED GAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPS A SMOOTHSURFACE FORMATION ON SAID ENCASED MEAT EMULSION AND QUICKLY COAGULATESTHE COMMINUTED MEAT EMULSION TO FORM AN ENCASED SELF-SUPPORTING SOLIDWHICH PERMITS EASY REMOVAL OF THE CASING, AND MAINTAINING THE ENCASEDSELF-SUPPORTING SOLD WITHIN THE